Orbital Sidekick launches GHOSt satellites, offers environmental monitoring via hyperspectral imaging
Orbital Sidekick has introduced two new satellites called GHOSt 1 and 2. These satellites are a part of its GHOSt constellation and use a proprietary analytic platform and hyperspectral sensor technology.
According to the company, they offer global monitoring capacity with advanced hyperspectral imaging capabilities. The company says the technology can capture nearly 500 bands of light across the electromagnetic spectrum with 20 times greater sensitivity than conventional monitoring techniques.
Orbital Sidekick has been using its hyperspectral sensor and analytics to support sustainable operations in different sectors, including energy, oil and gas, mineral exploration and defense. The United States Department of Defense has also contracted the company to provide hyperspectral data.
“From day one, Orbital Sidekick’s strategy has been about commercializing the highest resolution hyperspectral imagery and intelligence available. The successful launch of our first two GHOSt constellation satellites signifies our team’s ability to execute on this vision, while scaling our commercial product and establishing our leadership position in the market,” says Dan Katz, chief executive officer of Orbital Sidekick.
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The hyperspectral imaging technology integrates with Orbital Sidekick’s Spectral Intelligence Global Monitoring Application (SIGMA) platform, which provides access to the data archives, analytics engine and satellite tasking system for various applications. This platform helps oil and gas companies comply with regulations and enhance sustainability in their operations.
Orbital Sidekick is a member of the intelligent Pipeline Integrity Program, which focuses on improving pipeline integrity and leak detection. The company intends to leverage its satellite and aerial monitoring technology to facilitate low-carbon operations and establish enterprise operations for a sustainable future.
“The GHOSt constellation will now offer unparalleled insights into critical infrastructure and areas of the planet, enabling us to reach new heights in supporting sustainability and safety efforts anywhere in the world,” says Tushar Prabhakar, the chief operating officer of Orbital Sidekick.
Orbital Sidekick plans to add four more satellites this year to complete the initial constellation, which will consist of six hyperspectral imaging microsatellites. The satellites will have a hyperspectral imager to offer global monitoring capacity.
Edge computing can play a role in satellite-based imaging by enabling in-orbit gathering and processing of data. This approach helps save scarce terrestrial-satellite bandwidth, reduces latency, and enables faster insight generation. Companies have increasingly been leveraging “space edge” computing; for example, Palantir and Satellogic launched an edge AI-enabled satellite onboard SpaceX Transporter 4 in 2022, which enabled in-orbit data processing. Other relevant forms of edge computing in the space industry include using compute services near the point of ground signal acquisition before sending relevant information back to a central cloud for detailed data analysis.
Article Topics
edge server | hyperspectral imaging | Orbital Sidekick | satellite | sensors | SpaceX
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